How can I use a KWL Chart in the Classroom?

The world of education is moving to empowering students to self-advocate and become self-learners. This means that classrooms across America, possibly for the first time, are asking students what they (students) want to learn, how they (students) want to learn it, and how they (students) want to be graded.

Far out there? Maybe not. We have actually been doing this for a while now, but not in such a transforming way.

For example, a KWL chart ask these same questions.

KWL Chart

(K)

(W)

(L)

What do you think you KNOWabout ______________?

What do you WANT to know about
_________________?

What did you LEARN about
__________________?

In order to meet the demands of 21st century learning, educators must be willing to ask these three essential questions. With regard to formative assessments, student’s self-assessments allow them to pick mediums of learning and more importantly convey to the teacher what they did and did not learn, on their terms.